1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of trailers and, more particularly, the present invention relates to a boat trailer which incorporates a cover for the trailer to enclose a stored boat upon the trailer. The cover is selectively raised by a winch mechanism to facilitate the loading and off loading of the boat from the trailer. However, the present invention is not limited to boat trailers, but may find applicability across a wide range of trailers to provide a movable cover for many different types of goods to be covered.
2. Description of the Related Art
In their desire to maintain their boats in a pristine condition, many people will cover a small boat when it is stored on a trailer. Most notably, covers are of a canvas-like material and are fitted to the upper outline of the boat and then secured to the boat by strapping the cover to the boat and/or to the trailer. Obviously, canvas-like material is somewhat fragile in nature and will degrade over time from sunlight and weather elements. In the past, boat owners have resorted to incorporating hard covers to boat trailers due to the derogation of the canvas material. The hard covers will resist the elements and provide not only protection to the boat from the elements, but will also provide security to the boat and its associated equipment.
Various forms of hard covers are known in the prior art, but, generally, the prior covers have suffered from one or more deficiencies which the present invention seeks to overcome.
A hard boat cover attached to a trailer is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,132 granted to Avery which shows a hard cover mounted to a boat trailer, which cover, however, is not removable and the boat must be placed on the trailer by moving the boat in and out of a opening rear door. This obviously is a cumbersome procedure not easily accomplished with the boat and trailer in the water.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,414 granted to Dickson, a fitted hard cover is attached to a boat trailer and has a mechanism for raising the cover from a front position of the trailer in a clam shell manner. This particular cover overcomes some of the problems of U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,132, but adds a complicated mechanism for raising the cover and only fits one style of boat.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,302 granted to Harper discloses another type of fitted boat hard cover attached to a boat trailer with a mechanism to raise the cover from the front position in a clam shell manner.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,946 granted to Faber, another hard shell fitted boat cover is shown also mounted for operation from the front of the trailer, but this particular cover is designed specifically for a particular type of boat and is not adaptable to a wide variety of boats.
In accordance with the present invention and the contemplated problems which have and continue to exist in this field, the objectives of this invention are to provide an enclosed trailer for boats wherein the enclosure is a hard cover which will fit a variety of boats and is easily lifted above the boat from a position at the front of the trailer, thereby permitting easy launching and retrieval of the boat. The invention is simple in scope, is easily executable and adapted to any boat trailer, and is easily operable by a single person without having to get into the water to operate the invention.
This invention accomplishes the above and other objectives by taking a relatively standard boat trailer and fitting the trailer with a plurality of vertical telescoping cover support members which are generally affixed to the trailer by suitable support members and to attach to the telescoping support members a hard boat cover which will cover the trailer and any associated boat placed on the trailer. The hard cover is capable of being raised and lowered by action of the vertical telescoping cover support members which are integrally attached to a winch cable, which cable is adapted to be mounted upon the trailer tongue for operation by any operator. The cable is operatively engaged with a series of pulleys attached to both the trailer and to the telescoping cover support members thereby permitting the cover to be raised and lowered as desired.